Lost
by cuthwyn
Summary: Joker had killed people, a lot of people. So he figured that made him a very well qualified person to say that when a person is dead, they remain dead. It was how the whole dying thing worked! A prequel to another story Im writing but will stand up on it's own. Triggers: Miscarrige, attemped rape, general violence etc


A woman's screams carried up from the stairwell, peering into the darkness Harley sighed and gathered her thoughts, pretending she had not noticed the lack of maniacal laughter vibrating through her very being.

He was losing it.

Well, losing it more than the norm anyway.

It was all her fault and she had no idea how to get through to him.

Stopping on her decent down into the basement Harley collected herself before she stumbled down the last of the steps and knocked on the door. Swallowing she ignored the little voice inside that begged for her to turn and leave.

She had to try and cheer him up, some how.

'What?'

Came a familiar bellow above another female's pointless pleas for life.

'It-Its me'

Harley answered placing a hand on the wall to steady herself. The Joker flew open the door and glared down at her irritably, he was drenched from the waist up, his hair a wild, green, mess.

'What are you doing down here? Go upstairs Harley, I'm working!'

Wringing her shirt between her hands she smiled nervously.

'I-I'm popping out as the boys want Pizza. You needed anything?'

Joker shook his head and stared up the stairs as if his henchmen had just sent him an insult.

'Your not going out Harley. Now be a lamb and let daddy work. Why don't you go have a lie down Baby? Hmm?'

Disappearing back into his lair, he grabbed his semi-conscious victim and plunged her back beneath the icy water, as her body convulsed in a vain attempt to save itself. Inhaling sharply, Harley stepped in after him.

'Why? I don't mind! I can take the car, I'll be half hour tops!'

Swallowing again, she fought the urge to throw up as the other blond struggled for breath in the bath tub, the Joker pressing a car's seat belt against her throat. Subconsciously, she raised a hand to her own and tried to look away but could not as terror rose within her. The nausea increased as she flashed back to the roar of engines, the salt of the ocean, glass shattering. Coldness. Baby.

'No, Harley you can't drive, now go upstairs!'

He replied through gritted teeth as he chocked the last bit of life out of his victim.

Looking round he noticed Harley stood behind him, her face as white as a sheet with legs shaking violently beneath her.

'Oh get a grip woman!'

He bellowed in frustration.

Hauling the body out of the bathtub he placed her on a morgue's table and hooked her up to an ECG machine. Mentally shaking herself, Harley frowned at his comment as she fought against the cotton wool like effect in her head.

'What do you mean I can't drive?'

Stopping she stared at his hunched over form in dismay as her stomach lurched

'Y—you haven't?

Harley stuttered shaking her head as her vision blurred again.

'I'll stop drugging when you start sleeping Pooh!'

Joker replied off handily as he studied readings from a second corpse lying on a similar table.

'B-but'

Harley began before shutting up and fighting back the torrent of tears threatening to pour down her cheeks.

'B-but what? Do you think I'm so stupid I didn't notice you tipping your drink into the plant pot? You really enjoyed your ice cream! Now, shut up and go to bed.'

He said irritably, slamming the second ECG machine as it's flat line taunted him.

'Is this on?'

Receiving no reply he grabbed his henchwench by the pony tail and thrust her nose against it.

'Is it working or not?'

'Y-yes sir'

She replied, checking the second body's vitals with shaking hands, she shook her head timidly. 'She's dead'

Roaring Joker threw a trolley of medical instruments across the room and turned on her.

'How? How can she be dead and not you?'

Yelping as she was pinned against the wall, Harley's lip trembled as she racked her brains for an answer she didn't have.

'I-I don't know pl-please why cant we just let it go? P-please Mistah J, I'm begging you ,lets just forget about it'

Letting her drop to the ground, he turned is back on her and returned to abusing the machinery. Glancing at the corpses, Harley shook her head sadly a hand falling down to her stomach. He wasn't going to let it go, it was all her fault.

'It has to be something to do with the Kryptonite... it has to be.'

'Kryptonite?'

Harley repeated watching from the ground as the Joker paced back and forth deep in thought.

'I need answers. If I'm not at the Iceberg by 9, damn it I blow the deal.'

'Deal? What deal?'

Harley asked clambering to her feet. Joker stopped and looked at her blankly. He had forgotten she was there, she wasn't meant to have heard that.

'Go to bed Harley'

He said darkly his fist twitching by his side. Her eyes fell to the lead box on his desk as the pieces of the puzzle started to slot together. Swallowing the knot of fear in her throat, she stamped her foot and glared back at him with as much bravado as she could muster.

'No!'

Watching as he cocked an eyebrow she knew she was going to regret it ,she pleaded with herself to stop but it all just came out in one long jumbled up mess.

'What deal? Please, I'm begging you just let it go. I can't give you any more than I have! I can't, please make it stop'

She sobbed, flinching back as he stormed silently towards her pinning her back against the wall.

'You really want to know? You, my sweet you! That's right! Lex paid me, to find you, after you came back, happy? Lex Luthor paid me, because his Kryptonite was in my car that you crashed. So all of this, everything, is all your stupid fault. You brought this all of this upon yourself!'

Letting go of her suddenly Joker bounded back to the trolley he had thrown earlier and retrieved a syringe.

Still standing where he left her Harley's bottom lip trembled as she followed his movements.

'I-I belong to Lex?'

'In a manner of speaking. Hold out your arm'

'H-he'll take me to CADMUS!'

Rolling his eyes at her fear, Joker foraged for a belt amongst the wreckage of his equipment.

'Don't be ridiculous! Now hold out your arm.'

He repeated turning her face to make her look at him.

'No I wont.'

Harley yelled through tears, knocking the syringe away pathetically.

'Harley, sweetheart, you either give me blood willingly or we'll repeat what happened last night capieche?'

'Please, what would this sample show that is any different to the others? I cant give any more, please, stop!'

Harley begged her head lolling forwards drunkenly.

'You've got until the count of three. One, two'

Joker stepped closer and looked into her eyes threateningly. Closing them, she nodded silently and held out her arm, already littered with track marks. Squeaking as the needle pierced her skin Harley let out a pained sob and waited for it to be over. Slapping her arm Joker hissed in annoyance

'Come on, stop it! You can bleed more than this! Flex your hand. That's it, good girl'

Obeying silently Harley squeezed her eyes shut for what seemed like eternity until Joker and the needle finally left.

Leaning her head against the cool brick, she watched blankly as the Joker busied himself at his makeshift desk cursing at yet another fruitless endeavor. Sighing dejectedly, he punched a number into his phone and leaned forward cradling his head in his spare hand.

'I got nothing! Think I don't know that Nigma? Look I'm bringing the results to you see what you can do all right? Now, Nigma now!'

Hanging up he pushed his chair from beneath him, gathering papers he looked up and noticed Harley still slumped pathetically against the wall. Oh.

'Come on, bed'

He ordered, hauling her to her feet roughly by the wrist he pushed her towards the door.

'Move it!'

Trying to loosen his hold on her wrist, Harley made her protest as the henchmen tried to make themselves scarce. Spotting the last one hiding behind the couch he pointed to the front door.

'Boys! Van, now, we're going.'

Nodding as a flurry of bodies scrambled to obey him, he twisted a hand around one of those pesky ponytails, as the stupid girl attempted to make a run for it.

'Just in case you were wondering, that's what doing as your told looks like!'

He spat as he hauled her upstairs towards their bedroom.

Glancing down, she spotted his phone protruding from his pocket. Taking her chance she braced herself and pulled back ignoring the burning pain in her scalp.

'Get off me!'

She screamed as he pulled her back and pinned her to his side, struggling with her, he burst threw the door and sent her tumbling onto the bed.

Pushing the phone beneath the pillow, she rolled over to glare at him only to find he had vanished. Sitting up sharply she glanced from side to side trying to figure out where he had gone, listening as the bathroom door clicked. Harley backed away with a whimper when he quickly returned holding a glass of water.

'No, no. Please Ill be good!'

Harley pleaded trying to scramble to the other end of the bed but he had already grabbed a hold of her foot and pulled her back kicking and screaming.

'Drink it.'

He stated blankly, thrusting the glass under her nose.

'No I wont'

She yelled pushing him away and making a break for the door but her dizziness made her slow and clumsy. Sobbing, Harley felt a hand pull her backwards and her body make contact with the mattress once again.

Climbing on with her, Joker hauled her to a sitting position and grabbed her cheeks roughly, studying her wild eyes.

'Harley, please all right? Please, stop fighting me!'

Letting out a hitched sob, single tear ran down her face, timidly, she placed a trembling hand on his arm.

'D-don't make me. I don't like the dark.'

She pleaded as he leant forward and reclaimed the glass.

Twisting her arm cruelly behind her back he pushed the water beneath her nose.

'We can do this the hard way or the easy way Pooh! I'm not letting this one go. Now I will ask you one more time, drink!'

Grimacing at the pain that was shooting up her arm Harley leant forward and drank dutifully. Finishing, she gasped with relief as Joker released her arm, nursing it she looked away silently.

Hearing the glass clunk on the bedside table she shuddered as Joker patted her head gently.

'Good girl. We'll go for a picnic tomorrow hmm? Just us two. I'll even go on that confounded plastic swan boat thing you like. Now get some rest and trust me ok? I'll be back before morning I promise.'

Letting herself be laid down she stared out the window, quietly allowing him to tuck the covers around her and kissed her forehead softly. Turning to take one final look at her Joker closed the door and rested against it wearily, massaging his temples in an attempt to ease his aching head. Lifting his fedora from the top of the banister Joker plastered on his smile and followed his henchmen out into the night.

Listening as the door slammed and engines revved, Harley fought back tears as her mind started to cloud over. She didn't have much time.

Sticking her hand beneath the pillow she retrieved the phone and got up. Opening the window she stuck her head out and scanned the roads to make sure he had actually gone, pulling herself back in Harley dropped to the floor and frantically searched his contacts.

He always had a number for one or other of them. Yelping as she recognized a name she was after she looked back at the door cautiously as the call connected.

'Hello. Who is this?'

'Gordon?'

Harley slurred letting her head drop back onto the mattress.

'Who is this?'

'Pl-please no time. Joker'

Forcing her head back to an upright position, she tried to focus as the world clouded and blurred.

'Harley? Is this you?'

'Uh huh. Please I haven't got much time. Ice-Iceburg'

'Harley stay on the line for me ok? Help is on the way'

'N-no. Me. Leave me. Iceberg'

She tried to make him understand as she bashed her head against the bed in an attempt to put off the inevitable.

'It's ok'

'No, damn cops! Iceberg Joker, Lex help! H-help!'

'I'm sending you help'

'No...n-not me … hel-help J-Jok-er'

Screaming in misery the phone slipped out of her grasp and hit the ground before she could give anymore information. Panic set in, her limbs felt like lead as she struggled to her feet. Desperate sobs echoed around her. Finally succeeding; she leaned heavily against the bed post as she heard the door bash in. Shaking her head Harley moved towards the sound, fighting against the room that spun and swirled out of her reach. Hearing a familiar scream of frustration she collapsed on to the floor.

A familiar pair of black boots came into view.

'No'

She shook her head groggily as the Batman knelt down and picked her up gently.

Her head flopped back against his arms. Fighting for consciousness as she tried again to make them understand.

'Just. Drugs.'

She felt him placing her on the bed and checking her vitals.

'N-no. Please. Listen. Iceberg. Joker. K-kryp-tonite. Lex'

'When'

Came his gruff reply. The words sent a wave of euphoria rocketing though her body so strong it was if she were floating on air. Groaning, Harley's eyes rolled into the back of her head as she vaguely recognized her body being shaken.

'When Quinn? When?'

'N-nine' she finally managed to force out as the world turned black.


End file.
